Pius

follow me I’ll follow back

[Novu @The_Novu]

>You can't share or trade or sell games

That is the only reason Sony wants this.

Reminder they have hated the idea of people putting a movie on for their family in their living room for years now because they want everyone individually to purchase access.

Split screen went away for the same reason if I had to guess. Forcing all multiplayer online exclusively means that your friends have to buy a console and a game and a subscription instead of just bring a controller over like we could back in the day.

Never believe these people when they say anything is for your benefit. They're counting on you being a stupid lobotomized normie who doesn't question things.

[Jesse Squire @jessedeansquire]

I feel like a lot of people are misunderstanding the issues with Playstation ceasing production of disks so I thought I'd address a few of the common points I keep seeing that are surrounded by misinformation and Bias.

Personally as a gamer and a developer working in games, I want to make it crystal clear from the outset- I am neither an Xbox shill , or Sony hater or PC fanboy.

I simply just do not like seeing the industry I've loved for decades be completely torn apart by executives who are truly out of touch with (or just don't care about) this industry.

This is going to be a long, dense post so I'll do my absolute best to format it in a way that makes sense.

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I don't usually bang on about retweeting/sharing but in this case I will only cause I think making an informed choice as a consumer about videogame ownership is incredibly important. So please consider if it you agree :)

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Okay so lets go.

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"85% Of Sales are Digital
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This is the biggest one I keep seeing touted as a "gotcha" response. It does not tell the whole story however as the numbers are HEAVILY skewed to justify Sony's decision.

We know from the insomniac leak and retail data that many AAA games actually have a relatively even split most of the time. Here are a few examples

AstroBot - 55% Physical/45% Digital
Marvels Spiderman 2 54% Physical/46% Digital
God of war Ragnarök 76% Physical 24% Digital

There are many more I could bring up but this thread is already incredibly long and you get the point.

The problem with the 85% digital figure is that it also includes games that ONLY release digital. It's not a summation of games that release both digitally and on physical disks.

We know that the PS store is flooded with MANY games that have never get a boxed release and these HEAVILY skew the numbers.

We also know that a "sale" counts as a user simply adding a game to their library. Whether it is free, through PS plus subscription or purchased traditionally. So guess what? Every person who adds Fortnite, rocket league or any other F2P game - ALL count towards the digital % count even if no literal "purchase" has been made.

Am I saying that there hasn't been a skew towards digital in recent years? of course not, but the numbers that Sony are touting are simply a clever and misleading way to try spin the narrative that what they are doing is " for the players"

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"PC is also only digital media but everyone is fine with that"
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This is absolutely true, however it's also like comparing applies to a pizza.
There are a few points here that distinctly separate PC as a platform compared to Sony.

Multiple Storefronts

Unlike on consoles, with pc you have an open ecosystem that encourages competition between marketplaces. Yes, steam is dominant(we will get to that in a moment) but there are many many other storefronts that consumers can purchase their games from.

Storefronts such as , Epic games store, GOG, Ubisoft , Humble, :, Xbox/Microsoft store, Green Man Gaming , G2A, CDKeys etc etc- with more popping up all the time.

I see a lot of people argue that steam is a monopoly and that simply is not true. Yes they are the biggest. yes they own the biggest market share - however they are not a monopoly by definition. The REASON that steam is SO popular among PC gamers is that it simple is just the best service. Valve as a company has continued to be incredibly consumer focused over the years, offering great discounts, fantastic refund policies and even incredible hardware right to repair support with other ventures such as the Steamdeck.

Ultimately people TRUST pc as a gaming platform for many reasons- Valve being one of them. I can't remember the last time I saw someone say that they trust Sony, Nintendo or Microsoft to make player first business decisions. A big part of this is that Valve is a privately owned company and is not beholden to the whims of C-Suit executives that have to answer to shareholders.

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Piracy and Emulation
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I can hear people freaking out already in the comments" Oh you condone piracy and stealing from developers!"

As someone who works in games of course I prefer if people pay for a product I have worked on, to suggest otherwise is asinine.

I'm also aware that despite that, piracy is an avenue for game preservation, something that Sony seems to utterly not give a shit about given their recent closure of the PS3/Vita stores announced at the SAME TIME as the disk announcement.

It is also possible to simply download the cracks of games you've purchased to remove DRM- rather than copies of the games themselves.

Emulation is also a huge component of this. Many MANY games nowadays are only playable because of incredibly talented individuals who pushed for emulation on PC over the years. These are games that would have been lost to time.

This also connects really nicely into a pro for Physical media. A MAJOR misconception about emulation is that it's illegal. It's actually not. Downloading roms/ Isos is illegal but burning your own copies of physical media that you own is completely legal in most places

"OH BUT DISKS HAVE A SHELF LIFE"

Yes they do, but so does a digital storefront that will ultimately get shut down eventually - like the PS3 and Vita store. Yes you can CURRENTLY still download games you own - but as soon as Sony decides to shut down those servers as another "cost saving measure" - you are fucked.

The key difference however is that you can burn physical media. If somebody has, for example a PS2 collection with a couple hundred of games- there is nothing stopping them from making backups.

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"People are just complaining because they don't like change"
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Seen a few people post this. This isn't even a real argument. Yeah people have nostalgia, but the backlash around Sony isn't just about change, it's about a company that is so out of touch with it's audience , making a snap, rash decision that basically says "Fuck your childhoods, fuck your culture, fuck you as a customer. You are sheep that don't get to make a choice about how you consume media."

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"Playstation also does sales "
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Yeah they do but let me throw some reality at you.
Most games are still cheaper physically than digitally after sales. Even if they are not - they are still more expensive than a used copy. Playstation are also INCREDIBLY stingy about lowering the prices of games over time on their store compared to physical counterparts.

Currently at the time of writing, here are a few comparisons of Digital copies of games on the PlayStation Store compared to Physical Copies from GameStop. I've done these as American prices but UK/europe prices are similar.

I've also thrown in the STEAM price just for comparison to better hit home how greedy Sony are.

BATTLEFIELD 6
PSN 69.99
Physical 39.99
Steam 29.99 (50% Sale currently)

Borderlands 4
PSN 69.99
Physical 29.99
Steam 29.99 (50% Sale currently)

Resident Evil REQUIIUM
PSN 69.99
Physical 64.99
Steam 55,99 (20% Sale currently)

Starfield
PSN 49.99
Physical 44.99
Steam -Not going to include as the steam version is much older and it wouldn't necessarily be a completely fair comparision.

These are also only counting new copies. 2nd hand is even cheaper on the physical side for all examples.

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"PC doesn't have exclusives"
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Yes. It absolutely does. In fact it has significantly more exclusives than Playstation. Releasing every single day.

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Conclusion:
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So, ultimately if that is all true - why are PlayStation/Sony making this decision?

As depressing as it sounds, it's because Sony want a bigger cut of the pie and don't want you to have a choice as a consumer.

The goal of Sony is to completely remove ownership while simultaneously milking it's audience for every cent they have.

Want to play a copy of black ops 2 on your shiny digital only console? well too bad. It doesn't matter that you could get that game for 10 bucks 2nd hand- we want to charge you 60 and there is literally nothing you can do about it because you have no other choice as a consumer.

It gets even darker. Lets say you jump all in on PlayStation Digital - and then in 10-15 years you want to give your video game collection to your kid ? Sorry no this is against Sony's policy, because you don't actually own any of the thousands of dollars worth of products that you have "purchased", you only have a licence for it (and yes I'm aware that this is a problem with other digital storefronts too including steam, though at least on those platforms as mentioned there are other options - like family sharing).

Or even worse , what if the licences of music in GTA 6 Lapse? Or the rights to an IP like star wars gets pulled ? There is nothing stopping Sony from completely removing related products from the store.

"Oh but that would never happen"
Yeah, it will. It happened this week - by Sony.

They removed 500 movies and tv shows that people had PURCHASED, because Sony's licensing deal expired and unlike on the PS3 and vita store- you cannot redownload them. This WILL eventually happen for games in one form or another and is another major reason why physical media is important.

This decision is for investors and C-Suite executives who truly do not give a shit anymore about the audience and anyone defending PlayStation really needs to realise that ultimately the company does not care about them. They do not care about their consumer rights, they do not care about ownership of things you purchase.

There are many more points I could make on this but ultimately I think the backlash against Playstation is completely justified.

Ultimately, we are seen by these companies as consumers and not customers and I think that's an incredibly depressing point.

Also, if you managed to read all of this crash out - you have a better attention span than me 😅

Let me know your thoughts!

[Canadian Guy Eh @Canadianguyehh]

Did more digging.

It gets worse.

I decided to compare, isolating the PS5 Platform as a comparison. How many more digital exclusive games are there? and does it correlate with the 85% number?

There are, at this point in time, about 1,120 PRINTED PS5 games (give or take). We are going to assume, that all 1,120 of those games also have a digital counterpart.

I went to the PSN store and simply clicked PS5 Platform and games. So this does not include DLC, MTX, etc. The total? 7,590 games.

But what about free to play?

Lets exclude those, this brings the total down to 7,451 games on the PSN store sorted specifically for the PS5. I want to note, this would be a COMPLETE PS5 library (thus far).

So, simple Math

7,451 - 1,120 = 6,331.

There are 6,331 MORE games on the PSN store than what's PHYSICALLY PRINTED For the PS5. That is 5.65x MORE games. These are all games that sell for 1 dollar, all the way up to your 100$+ digital special editions. If you Buy Final Fantasy Rebirth for 69.99 physically, go home, and buy "Quack McStuffins" for a dollar on PSN, those quantity of numbers are treated as equal.

and it gets even funnier.

Lets take that digital catalogue of 6,331 games and divide it by that complete library number (7,451) and turn it into a percentage.

6,331 divided by 7,451 = 84.96%

Meaning? almost 85% of the PS5's available library is DIGITAL ONLY. Ironic how 85% of Playstation's sales are digital eh?

So, what's happening here?

"All digital" defenders are using False Equivalency, and an Availability bias to gaslight users into thinking that no one plays physical anymore and to "get with the times" in the digital era.

Playstation themselves stated "This is a natural direction for Sony Interactive Entertainment to adapt to consumer trends as the general preference for digital media significantly outpaces physical discs." But this logic is ONLY sound if you apply a False Equivalency.

ALL OF THIS- Before we even take into account of the insomniac leaks back in 2022, which showed that 31 out of the 33 first party games sold MORE in Physical than Digital. And in recent memory, Astrobot selling around 55% physical vs Digital.

So, why are they doing this?

Because MONEY!

Playstation makes WAY more money if you buy the game digitally vs Physically. So playstation is using the backing of convenience, Digital Incentives, indie/AA teams, Mini-Games, and yes, AI Slop, to validate jamming gamers who prefer Physical games with a hot poker into a 100% digital era.

[Obiasogu David @afrisagacity]

“I bought the Mandilas building through a loan from Zenith Bank. The Lagos State government initially demolished part of the building and refused to rebuild it. After they gave me the approval to rebuild it, I collected another loan and rebuilt it. Now, the Lagos State government came back to forcefully take over the entire building from me.

-Onuorah Eze Okafor, who bought Mandilas in Lagos, shares a heartbreaking story of the battle he’s facing with the Lagos State government over the ownership of his Mandilas building!✍️

[NIB @nib95_]

Seen several quote #PlayStation's 78% digital full game sales, thus omitting important context.

That figure includes countless digital only releases, from back catalogue to indie games etc. Even Capcom revealed 84% of its sales were "older catalog titles", many of which are only available digitally.

So using such data is somewhat misleading.

To gauge REAL physical demand you need to look at splits of games that released both physical AND digital only. Thanks to the Insomniac leaks, we have such data on PS first party games.

Playstation Physical / Digital splits

Sackboy - 77% / 23%
R&C Rift Apart - 76% / 24%
Ghost of Tsushima DC - 71% / 29%
Demon's Souls - 70% / 30%
Miles Morales - 66% / 34%
Spider-Man - 66% / 34%
Returnal - 61% / 39%
The Last of Us 2 - 61% / 39%
Ghost of Tsushima - 51% / 49%
MLB The Show 21 - 39% / 61%

So per Sony's own internal data, 31/33 first party games from their chart sold more PHYSICAL than they did digital.

Uncharted 4 actually has an insane 83% physical split.

Granted it only covers through to a few months into 2022, but we can see from other more recent data, things haven't drastically changed. For example GSD data shows ~60% of Astro Bot sales across Europe were physical.

So what skews revenue and data more digital, beyond digital only releases and platforms? The answer is games with LIVE SERVICE components, especially multiplatform ones.

As you can see from Sony's internal data, MLB has the highest digital split, and it's a live service game.

Generally the highly popular live service or annualised games such as Call of Duty, NBA 2K, FIFA etc, have higher digital splits, as gamers are constantly launching them (often daily) and don't want to be constantly switching discs, thus skewing digital/physical splits.

It's very different to single player games which are shorter and have different play and consumer trends. So again, context matters.

Then there's a MASSIVE audience of gamers that aren't even accounted for in any of this data; the countless consumers that buy and sell used physical games, because they simply can't afford as many new games, but still buy/own consoles, accessories, games, services etc. Everything from poor parents, kids etc.

Ultimately, the data rejects the notion physical is dead or meaningless, even if digital accounts for the overall lionshare of revenue/sales, especially when you look at things with the proper context and/or focus on single player tentpole games, which is PlayStation's bread and butter.

Keep in mind platforms make a 15% licensing fee from third parties on physical games, while they get a 30% cut on digital.

Likewise first party lose a 30% cut to retailers on physical, while they keep all of the revenue on digital.

As I said before, this move to kill physical is more about PlayStation trying to make far more profit and squeeze away the last remnants of consumer ownership, control, flexibility and resale, and could have greater negative market ramifications.

[chief sọm @chisomholic]

Have you people seen this? Or we should wait for them to arrive in the South West before we start panicking and taking issues seriously?

Emergency air ambulance for injured terrorists but nothing for tax-paying law-abiding citizens. We are finished!

[MattBanXI @MattBanXI]

🚨 New figures emerging from the Insomniac leak.

So when games aren’t Fortnite, Apex, Rocket League etc., people buy physical just as much as digitally.

Gamers love physical. We shouldn’t be killing it off!

Buy Physical.

[Feru ✭ @ferupity]

“All men do is lie”

nigga have you not seen a fat girls comment section?

[Peter Obi @PeterObi]

The Disturbing Reports from Osun State University

I have read with deep concern the troubling reports of soldiers invading students’ hostels at Osun State University, Osogbo, during which students were allegedly assaulted, humiliated, dispossessed of their personal belongings, and female students subjected to degrading treatment, including rape.

Every Nigerian deserves to be treated with dignity and respect. Our Armed Forces are renowned for their courage, discipline, and sacrifice in defending our nation. They are not known for such barbarity against the very citizens they are sworn to protect.

I therefore urge the military high command to conduct a thorough, transparent, and impartial investigation into these allegations. Anyone found culpable should be brought to justice. Holding offending personnel accountable will not only ensure justice for the victims but also preserve the honour and integrity of our Armed Forces while serving as a deterrent against future abuses.

A nation that respects human dignity builds confidence in its institutions. We must never tolerate impunity or the abuse of power.

A New Nigeria is POssible. -PO

[Nans @nansbello]

When Nigerians continue to memeify our problems, this is what happens. Keep making your jokes and skits and calling them “satire”. The people you are doing it for will satirize you back and in a crueler way.

[SWARTSKAAP @Shikonekeni_]

Finally found the video that defines me:

[Don Juluka ⭐️⭐️ @nonchelete_]

@hlovo_ “There are known knowns and known unknowns. But there are also unknown unknowns, things we don't know that we don't know” 🔥😭

[Jude Bela @realJudebela]

When we criticize religious leaders for failing to call out bad leadership, and for extravagant spending on large auditoriums while people suffer from lack of jobs and hospitals, people say we should face the leaders and leave the religious houses out of it because they’re not the government. I agree, they’re not the government. Pastors shouldn’t be held accountable for the lack of good roads, hospitals, or schools for the average person.

But now, tell me, why are these same pastors trying to convince the average person that the work of security is in the hands of God, and that the government has done its best? Are you people not mad like this?

God is not building us hospitals. God has looked away from our bad roads. God seems not to be interested in building factories for us. And, quite frankly, we’re not angry with Him for looking away from all of this, because we have a government that collects our taxes, manages our resources, controls our money, and regulates our trades. That government has access to our national treasury, and all we’re asking of them is to use what we have to build a society where humans can live.

And now you, who have been saying we should leave you alone because you are not that government, are telling us that our security can only be fixed by God? You mean the God who has abandoned our schools, our hospitals, our roads, and has failed to build us a single factory? You mean that God will now go into the bush to rescue the children He watched get kidnapped?

Again, are you people not mad like this?

[David Hundeyin @DavidHundeyin]

"Everything is agendified".

In a world where literally the food you eat and the type of sex you enjoy is either heavily influenced or directly determined by rich people on another continent who own all the means of production including GMO patents and Pornhub.

The problem with a lot of you is that your minds are far too small to comprehend the size of trouble you are in.

You know nothing about the world you live in. You just exist mindlessly inside it. Like vegetation or shellfish.

[YOM🗣️ @ThaBoyYom]

- K!dnappers grow old
- Rap!sts & Pedos grow old
- Cheaters grow old
- Swindlers grow old
- Deadbeat dads and dem Iya ofo grow old
- Dem iti boribo at the back of classrooms grow old too

Why should I automatically respect you just because you happened to not have d!ed quick ?

Old africans always feel they’re immune to foolery just because of our ‘respect your elders’ culture.

Miss me with that bullsh!t.

[Ozedikus Nwanne @Ozedikus]

Almost every young person in Nigeria wants to become an entertainer now because it’s one of the few career paths that’s rewarding these days. If this trend continues we may have a whole generation of clowns soon

[Man of Letters. @Letter_to_Jack]

Walk with me:

If crude oil is procured weeks or months before it is processed, under commercial contracts linked primarily to monthly average pricing mechanisms, can they explain this:

US struck Iran on 28th February. By March 2nd, Dangote Refinery increased ex-depot price by ₦100 to ₦874/L.

11 days later (March 13), the ex-depot price was increased from ₦874/L to ₦1,175/L. An increase of N401/L in 11 days.

So, if crude oil is procured weeks or months ahead, and the ex-depot price reacted upward instantly to market shock, why is it not reacting downwards at the same rate after oil prices crashed?

[Culture Crave 🍿 @CultureCrave]

PlayStation is currently facing multiple lawsuits alleging the PlayStation Store operates as an illegal monopoly

(via @Chris_Dring)

[Trevor Noah @Trevornoah]

I completely understand where you’re coming from, but for a lot of gamers physical discs are the only way they could afford to play games because they could get them secondhand. You can also give games to your younger siblings Which is a great way to introduce them to the games you were playing.

Most importantly though, as we saw from PlayStation this past week, if the media we buy is only digital, it can be taken away from us at a moment’s notice with no recourse. Imagine that, one day your entire library of games could be deleted overnight because technically you don’t own it.

[Mazwi Blose - MP @mazwiblose2]

"They called my dad iKwerekwere because he is Tsonga. They pulled my sister out of the shower while naked"